When it comes to mental health and overall wellness, locus of control is a key factor in how your student relates to the world. In psychology, locus of control is related to the extent to which an individual believes that they are in control of facets that impact their lives. To have an external locus of control, an individual believes that life happens to them. In other words, there are external influences driving the events that occur in one’s life. Opposite to this is an internal locus of control, when an individual believes that they have control over what happens in their life. An example of this would be a student understanding the fact that they do have the choice of whether or not they will attend a class.
While we are well aware that there are plenty of things that happen in life that are entirely out of our control (a pandemic for example), locus of control becomes relevant when considering what to do in the face of said thing. Research has proven time and again that people with a higher internal locus of control are happier and more mentally healthy. When interacting with your student, consider the role you play in fostering an internal locus of control. As a caregiver it is easy to want to rescue your student in a time of need, however, what might be more beneficial is teaching them the value in advocating for themselves. With that being said, it is equally important to be a soft place for them to land if things don’t work out how they would have hoped.
Kiara Thomas- Wellness Intake Specialist
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